If you’ve worked in any industry that uses AFFF firefighting foam, you may have heard about lawsuits. And if you’ve developed cancer or another disease, you may be wondering if you can file a firefighting foam lawsuit.
Rueb Stoller Daniel is actively recruiting plaintiffs who were made sick because of exposure to toxic firefighting foam. We’re helping individuals find out if they are eligible to take legal action by evaluating their cases.
Here, we offer some pointers to determine if you may qualify. If you believe you do, we would like to hear from you.
What Are Firefighting Foam Lawsuits About?
AFFF stands for aqueous film-forming foam. It is a special fire suppressant designed to extinguish fires that water alone cannot. These are usually fires fueled by gas or oil. Although the foam is quite effective at putting these fires out, there’s a more sinister side to it. This is where a group of toxic chemicals known as polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, come in.
PFAS are often dubbed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment or the human body. Because the human body cannot dispose of PFAS, they accumulate over time. This leads individuals to develop a number of serious health problems such as:
- Kidney cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Thyroid disease (hypo- and hyperthyroidism)
- Hashimoto’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Bladder cancer
- Blood cancer (including leukemia, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma)
- Breast cancer
- Liver cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
Criteria for a Firefighting Foam Lawsuit
There are two requirements that an individual must meet to file a firefighter foam lawsuit. If you’re interested in learning more about what lawsuit lending is, and how it’s regulated, visit this page
Exposure to Firefighting Foam With PFAS
First, you must have actually been exposed to toxic firefighting foam. One way you could have come in contact with PFAS firefighting foam is that you worked in an industry that regularly used it. Here are some examples of jobs where AFFF exposure is likely:
- Firefighters
- Airport workers
- Military personnel
- Industrial workers
- Chemical plant workers
- Anyone who worked for a firefighting foam manufacturer
- Anyone who transported AFFF firefighting foam
- Anyone who helped incinerate or dispose of AFFF
But you may have been sickened because of contaminated groundwater. This is especially the case if you live near a site where firefighter foam has been frequently used.
It will be necessary to prove that you frequently came in contact with toxic firefighting foam in one of the above ways. If you are unsure, we can review your circumstances and advise you.
Cancer or Disease Diagnosis
Secondly, you must show that you were diagnosed with one of the diseases listed above. This will require not only medical evidence but also establishing a causal link between firefighter foam exposure and the disease.
Although this sounds like it might be easy to prove, causation actually tends to be hotly contested in these lawsuits. Firefighter foam manufacturers and their lawyers are clever at finding ways to deflect blame for their role in making people sick.
But having skilled legal counsel in your corner will make a difference. We understand what it takes to prove causation as well as the other necessary elements of a personal injury claim.
Call Us Today for a Free, No-Obligation Case Review
If you have questions about filing a firefighting foam lawsuit, we encourage you to reach out to us. Our attorneys are well-versed in handling mass tort and class action lawsuits such as these. And we’re ready to get to work for you. To learn about your legal rights and options, call Rueb Stoller Daniel today.
